


A Greener Shade

by cloverfield



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, F/F, Hinoka's Really Obvious Crush on Camilla, Ikebana, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Ryouma's Really Obvious Crush on Xander, Takumi Is Done, The Hoshidan Siblings are Dating the Nohrian Siblings, sibling relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-22 05:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22110691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloverfield/pseuds/cloverfield
Summary: “Take this,” says Ryouma, shoving a ribbon-wrapped box into Takumi’s arms and nearly blinding him with an artistic spear of greenery in the process. “It’s for the investment firm on the corner of Conquest Street – the one with all the glass out the front.”
Relationships: Camilla/Hinoka (Fire Emblem), Elise/Sakura (Fire Emblem), Leon | Leo/Takumi, Marx | Xander/Ryoma, Ryoma & Takumi (Fire Emblem)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63





	A Greener Shade

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AnActualLion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnActualLion/gifts).



> The start of an obligatory 'Flower Shop and Tattoo Parlour' AU.

“Takumi, you know I normally wouldn’t ask – but I really am desperate.” Ryouma sighs, dragging the back of his hand across his forehead – ostensibly to blot sweat, but in reality smearing traces of potting mix below the tangle of his hair where it escapes his headband.

It’s humid in the back of the shop, half a breath away from tropical: moisture hangs heavy in the air and beads wetly on the green plastic wrapped snugly around the potted orchids sitting pretty on the workbench. Takumi can feel the sweat on the back of his neck pooling, soaking into the roots of his hair, and even Ryoma’s plastic apron looks damp, the cotton of his t-shirt clinging and dark at his neck and underarms.

“It figures the courier would cancel while I’m in up to my elbows in the biggest order we’ve had in _months_.” There’s over two thousand dollars’ worth of flowers on the bench, bright and beautiful and very, very delicate – the kind of flowers that a high-powered executive might order to impress his in-laws at the wedding of the season, the kind of flowers that will pay their bills for _weeks_ with their extravagant cost. Ryouma’s been in the shop since before Takumi left for school, and he’ll probably still be working well into the night for delivery tomorrow.

Takumi knows this, and he knows Ryouma really can’t go deliver the new online order for an office arrangement they just received, not when he’s so busy. Takumi still has to whine about it, because if he just _did things_ people asked of him, they’d never stop. “Can’t Hinoka do it?”

“Hinoka is out of commission,” says Ryouma dryly, huffing to blow a strand of hair from out his eyes as he threads ribbon through the jade-green stalks of bobbing _cattleya_ and _dendrobium_. Hearing her name, Hinoka waves from the front counter without even looking up from her phone, perched on a stool to mind the storefront – though they haven’t really got anyone in at the moment, so she’s been playing around with display for the new cardstock besides the till. One bare foot is bandaged and bobbing where Hinoka jiggles her leg, apparently unconcerned with her brother’s commentary.

“It turns out that getting a new tattoo on one’s ankle from the pretty lady at the tattoo parlour means that one is going to skive off work for the rest of the afternoon, despite that fact that _she can walk perfectly fine with the bandage on_ ,” adds Ryouma, raising his voice just slightly in pointed exasperation.

Hinoka, still glued to her phone with an expression Takumi can best categorise as ‘lovesick’, lifts two fingers in a mock salute, shifting on the stool to get comfy as she uncrosses and recrosses her legs again. The wrapping on her foot, which is mostly plastic and cotton as opposed to actual bandage, isn’t even that big. That said, Hinoka’s been mooning over the tattoo artist bombshell two doors down for _weeks_ , so she’s definitely going to be useless for at least the next day or two.

“And since Sakura went straight to her friend’s house after school,” finishes Ryouma, “that means _you’re_ playing delivery boy.” There’s a firm note in Ryouma’s voice he rarely uses – the one that all eldest brothers come equipped with, and Takumi knows from bitter experience that arguing is going to get him exactly nowhere.

Doesn’t mean he has to like it.

“But it’s hot outside!”

It’s a feeble protest at best – so much for three years of captaining Debate Club – and Ryouma snorts. “Then borrow Hinoka’s bike – you’ll catch the breeze.”

There’s no way in hell Takumi is riding his sister’s battered old junker down to the finance district, even if it is three blocks away.

“I’ll walk, thanks.”

“Then take this,” says Ryouma, shoving a ribbon-wrapped box into Takumi’s arms and nearly blinding him with an artistic spear of greenery in the process. “It’s for the investment firm on the corner of Conquest Street – the one with all the glass out the front.”

Takumi huffs a breath, spitting out a frond of curling fern. “Who am I supposed to be giving this to?” There’s a name on the card but he can’t see it, not from the angle.

Ryouma stills for barely a second, flushed with more than sweat. “Xander. He’s got—he’s got _golden hair_ , you’ll know him when you see him.” The red rising in Ryouma’s face deepens and he coughs, swallowing hard as he rubs his face on his sleeve again. “He’s, uh. He’s hard to miss.” Ryouma is – Ryouma is blushing, almost as badly as Hinoka does when she’s… oh. Oh no. On the list of things Takumi does not need to know, what his _big brother_ looks like when he has a _crush_ is definitely number one.

Before Takumi can even _begin_ to express how disturbing that look on his brother’s face is, he’s shoved out the door with a demand not to drop the flowers or get lost; a small mercy for all concerned, really. Still, it’s not like he asked to be doing this, which is why Takumi finds himself cursing flowers in general and the rather elegant arrangement of lavender, lilac and no small number of lilies Ryouma loaded him up with in particular, stomping down the pavement with arms wrapped tight around his heavy burden. Even the vase is stunning, swooping curves of glass smoked with pearlescent dye, curling in wisping patterns that only enhance the loveliness of the arrangement itself. It looks luxurious, beautiful, _expensive_ – which means Ryouma put a lot of work into it, like he does with every skill he masters.

Part of Takumi still envies Ryouma: his talent for damn near everything he lays his hands on, his ability to turn hard work and sweat into an effortless-seeming façade of cool capability. When he was younger, Takumi spent bitter years trying to make himself fit the mould Ryouma had carved before him. It wasn’t until he realised that all his brother wanted for him – all he wanted for _anyone_ in their family – was happiness on the path they chose for themselves, that he could finally lay his demons to rest.

(It wasn’t easy, growing up with an elder brother instead of a Mum or a Dad – but Ryouma, dependable, _dorky_ Ryouma with his love of _ikebana_ and sharp mind for business, managed to turn their mother’s beloved flower shop into a successful little enterprise that kept all three of them fed and clothed throughout their childhood. Sometimes Takumi wonders what it was that Ryouma gave up to become a father-figure at such a young age, and sometimes he catches his brother looking wistfully out the windows as he works to keep the store clean and welcoming – but he’s never worked up the courage to ask.)

Squishy family feelings aside, Takumi deserves a tip for this one – especially when he nearly gets blindsided by the dumbass who comes steaming out of the glass doors of his destination with no care whatsoever for unfortunate flower boys on the doorstep.

“Watch where you’re going, _you_ –!” snarls Takumi, biting back a curse as he stumbles. His hands tremble in their grip and palms sweaty at the thought of how much he’d have to pay Ryouma back if he dropped the damn thing.

“Excuse me?” Glaciers have more warmth than the voice that counters him, dripping with disdain like a wet, snobbish sponge. “You’re the fool who walked straight into our door.” Chills break over Takumi’s spine at that accent – the same snooty one he heard in class today, and the blonde head that pokes around the corner of the flowers is horribly familiar.

_Leo._

“It’s you!” The pointing finger is a bit much, even as Leo wrinkles his stupid pointy nose, scowling as he folds his arms over his chest. “What are you doing here?” He manages to somehow both tip his chin up and look down at Takumi at the same time, which is par for the course as far as Leo is concerned.

_Stupid pretty boy rich kids._

“My job,” says Takumi flatly. Not that Leo of all people even deserves an answer, but Ryouma would have his _hide_ if anyone said anything bad about Takumi being rude while he was on the clock. Bad reviews could tank their reputation, and in a town this small a lot of their clientele come by word of mouth. Leo might be annoying on the best of days, but Takumi’s not going to jeopardise everything Ryouma’s worked hard for the sake of scoring points. “Now if your highness doesn’t mind, I have places to be.”

There’s a standoff moment where Leo blinks dumbly at him in the doorway, and Takumi huffs. “That means you need to move out of the way.” The _idiot_ goes unspoken.

Leo flushes, pinkening all the way up to the roots of his hair. “Right.” Another awkward moment as Leo steps right just as Takumi goes left, and then vice versa, until Takumi finally gets fed up and shoulders past him and into the doorway proper. Leo stumbles where Takumi bumps him – he might be taller but he’s skinny in a way someone nicer might call slender, a bookworm with a bookworm’s body under those fancy clothes – but he lets Takumi past without trying to stop him, or messing with the very expensive arrangement it’s taking all of Takumi’s concentration not to drop. 

“Wait – just tell me one thing, before you go,” Leo blurts, eyes wide. He’s still pink in the face.

Takumi sighs. “What?” he grunts, hefting his box up a bit more. His arms are getting tired now – flowers are heavier than they look, and there’s a line of sweat tickling the back of his neck where it’s dripping down beneath his hair.

“Why do _you_ have flowers for my brother?”

This time it’s _Takumi_ left blinking. “Your _brother_? The hell?”

“The card attached to the flowers,” says Leo. “The name – it’s _Xander_. Xander is my elder brother.”

Xander, with the golden hair. Xander, who Takumi’s brother apparently has a crush on. Golden-haired Xander, who is related to Leo, who is pretty much the only student in their year whose grades rival Takumi’s own, and also the only guy Takumi would rather have nothing to do with whatsoever. Golden-haired Leo’s-brother _Xander_ , whose flowers Takumi is holding right now.

You could not _pay_ Takumi to get more mixed up in this mess than he already is.

“Here,” says Takumi brusquely, shoving the flowers at Leo’s chest. Skinny noodle arms come up to catch them with seconds to spare, and Takumi stomps past. “Those are yours. Give ‘em to your brother, throw them in the trash – hell, _eat_ them for all I care.” Takumi has places to be, things to do – things that do _not_ involve furthering _his_ brother’s romantic prospects with the brother of the kid Leo _least_ wants to be related to by marriage.

(Shit. He's never gonna be able to look Leo in the eye ever again.)

Leo, suddenly burdened with the floral expression of Ryouma's apparently lovelorn heart, splutters as Takumi walks away. “Hey, wait–!”

Ryouma can deliver his _own_ damn flowers to his would-be boyfriend next time – Takumi is _done_. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for the much-loved Leo (not the FE character; an actual real person called Leo) after we got chatting about how uselessly gay all of the Hoshidan sibs are for the Nohrian sibs and vice versa on twitter.


End file.
